1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an end piece for the front or rear end of a ski or snowboard as well as a co-operating ski or a snowboard equipped therewith, as specified in claims 1, 2 and 35.
2. Prior Art
End pieces or terminating elements for the front or rear end of skis or snowboards are known in principal from the prior art. These end pieces primarily fulfill the function of a cladding element for the tip or end portion of the corresponding gliding board body. For reasons pertaining to the production technology used, such end pieces are mostly fitted in the tip or end portion of a ski or snowboard in particular. These end pieces specifically provide a visually advantageous termination for the gliding board body. Especially if the gliding board body is made from a multi-layered composite body and is manufactured by a foam injection process, a known approach is to provide the end portions of the gliding board body with an end piece serving as a cladding element. This being the case, these end pieces may be adhered to the gliding board body during the production process already and/or secured to the end portion of the gliding board body by a positive connection or by means of fixing screws. These end pieces are therefore of fixed dimensions, adapted to the dimensions of the respective ski or snowboard. No provision is made for a variable width or thickness.
Document DE 202 01 963 U1 discloses an extension for the tip or shovel which can be fitted as and when necessary. This tip extension can be pushed onto the ski tip when necessary to enable skiing in deep snow. This push-on tip, which is primarily intended to impart greater buoyancy when moving on deep snow, can then be removed again by the user. This tip extension is therefore an accessory which can be fitted and removed as and when required and can be fitted on a plurality of skis with different shovel geometries. In particular, provision is made so that this fitting fits different dimensions of the front end of the skis, in particular the shovels, depending on manufacturer and ski model. To this end, the fitting is of an essentially U-shaped design as seen from above, and the distance between the two legs of the U-shaped fitting may be made bigger or smaller in order to adapt to the respective shovel widths of different ski models.